I haven't DM'd for a long time and I decided I wanted to play a game set in 16th century Russia with a mad king on the throne, with Lithuanians, Poles and Crusaders to the North and West and beyond them the Finns and the Ice.  With Turks and wildlings to the South and with the mountains to the East, not to mention Baba Yaga in the forests nearby.

I had the idea of people randomly selecting beginning classes and roleplaying with what they had.  How would people feel about that?

Failing that, would people be interested in a game set in Ivan's Orichnina and if so, what 'classes' would people wish to play?

Or is it a non-starter?

In reply to Alcuin (msg # 1):

A pretty cool idea.  I would think a good roleplayer could play nearly anything.  But that said, the possibilities for each class still have to be fun.  No one wants to be the idiot serf who's good for nothing.

I think it's a cool premise, especially with the addition of local myth and legend.

In reply to Arkyn (msg # 2):

True but there's got to be fun in finding out what the idiot serf can do.  In Russian folk tales, he's the youngest brother who triumphs where the other two meet destruction.

Darn, if I had not just joined a new game I would be very interested. Idiot serfs and idiot nobles are equally fun, and make for great comic relief.

In reply to Alyse (msg # 5):

Never mind Alyss. My preparations may not be as fast as I hope.

In reply to Alcuin (msg # 1):

I presume you mean Oprichniki (опри́чнина), the guard corps and secret police established by Ivan the Terrible? Oprichnina (опри́чнина) refers to the state policy enacted by Ivan to root out and destroy those disloyal to him, chiefly amongst the boyars (aristocracy). They were akin to the Okhrana of the Romanov dynasty, the Red Terror-era Cheka, and the Great Purge-era NKVD... responsible for oppressing, terrorizing, and executing alleged threats to 'state security' (those suspected of disloyalty to the supreme leaders of those times, guilty or no).

I'm sorry that was a typo.  I meant Oprichnina, but only one aspect of it, the fact that it established a different but separate realm contiguous with the kingdom.  Some members were subject to certain laws (Englishmen, Merchants, Boyars and as you say any who could be considered a threat to the state) while Peasants, Priests and slaves were subject to the older laws with a lighter regime.

Ah, I thought you might be going for something along the lines of Hounds Of The Tsar.

Ahh, no.  Until a couple of minutes ago, I'd never even heard of it.  I was thinking of converting GURPS Russia to Zweihänder.

GURPS Russia and Mythic Russia are both excellent resources.

As is the first book I remember reading as a child.  Russian Folk Tales by Alexandr Afanasyev.

I'd be pretty interested in this, I think.